


First Pick

by preciousbunnynoiz



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arguing, Confrontations, Friendship, Making Up, One Shot, Short One Shot, Sparring, Team as Family, Teamwork, zukka if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousbunnynoiz/pseuds/preciousbunnynoiz
Summary: Toph tells Zuko as the newbie he gets first pick of partner for sparring so they can spar in teams.He picks Sokka and everyone is shocked but they really shouldn't be
Relationships: Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka & The Gaang (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 304





	First Pick

"Okay Zuko, as the newbie you get first pick." Toph said cracking her knuckles.

"At what?" Zuko sounded confused but he usually sounded confused. He was so spirits blessed _awkward._

It was kinda adorable if Sokka was being honest.

"First pick for your sparring partner!" Toph said with a foot stomp that rattled the temple, "We're all going to pick teams and then beat the shit out of each other!" 

Sokka sighed from where he sat near the fire inspecting his weapons. He knew this meant a day of loneliness and frustration for him.

"I get first pick? Really?" Zuko sounded more cheerful which was...odd but okay. He really only had two choices: Toph or Aang. Not even Prince Jerkbender was dumb enough to pick Katara.

"Yeah so pick good!" Toph ordered.

"Well then I pick Sokka." 

There was a silence as Sokka whipped up his head to stare at Zuko, his heart pounding wildly.

"Oh...um Sokka...doesn't usually participate." Aang said awkwardly "It just wouldn't be...fair." 

"Oh yeah, I suppose." 

Sokka's heart sank. 

For a moment, just a moment, he thought someone saw him as an equal.

"Well yeah! It's not like he can bend!" And ouch Toph. Really rub salt into the wound.

"Wait. You think it would be unfair to _Sokka!?_ " 

Zuko looked even more confused than usual and kinda outraged.

The other three looked just as confused by his reaction.

"What else would we mean?" Aang asked.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out some smoke.

"Now I get why Azula came so close to getting you guys. How are you this prejudiced against non benders! Didn't you notice when we all attacked my sister in that abandoned village she deflected Sokka's boomerang first!?" Zuko ranted at them.

"She did?" Katara said with a skeptical eyebrow raise.

"Yes! She did! Because she knows you disregard non benders at your peril. Look. I'll prove it. Sokka and I will go against the three of you and we'll win." Zuko said it with such authority, like he really believed it. 

"You might be willing to enter such a stupid one sided fight but Sokka won't." Katara said flatly and that pissed Sokka off. He stood up and walked over to the group.

"I'll do it." He said, staring her down.

"Sokka-" she started but he shook his head, not wanting to listen to her. 

"Nuh-uh. We're doing this." 

"Okay. Rules. If we get a sword blade or my hand against your neck you're out." Zuko said with his arms crossed.

"And our win conditions?" Toph asked.

"Unnecessary." 

Sokka felt himself grin. 

This could be fun.

He quickly pulled Zuko aside and whispered a few instructions and Zuko nodded and grinned. 

It made Sokka feel like someone was finally listening to him.

They met the others in the sparring area and after a moment Sokka and Zuko started running towards Toph. 

As soon as she sent rocks flying their way Sokka threw his boomerang and used the cover of her attack to go after his real target. 

Zuko dodged Toph's attack but he was facing his real opponent, Katara, like they planned. 

With all the anger and resentment in her heart Sokka and Zuko knew she would target him first and harder than necessary. 

Which meant she didn't realise he had placed himself in between her and Toph.

She sent out a strong jet of water from the fountain only for Zuko to jump up, and grab a vine. Meaning Toph and the dirt around her got soaked. 

Zuko flipped from the vine to land behind Toph with his hand in her neck at the same time Katara felt Sokka's blade by her throat. 

She hadn't even noticed him coming from behind her.

Leaving the girls, who stood there stunned, they turned their attention on Aang.

They both ran towards him dodging the attacks he aimed at them when the boomerang hit him in the back of the head. 

As he stumbled forward in shock they moved in and Aang froze with Sokka's sword at one side of his throat and Zuko's hand on the other side. 

There was a silence and then Sokka and Zuko straightened up and Sokka sheathed his sword.

"You took out all of us!? In like five minutes?!!" Toph said in clear disbelief.

"I told you. Having Sokka on a team is unfair to the rest of you. He has to do more with less _and_ he knows all about how you fight. Haven't you noticed that he knows how to use your bending to be most effective? And you still dismissed him?" Zuko put his hands in his hips as he growled, "I know I'm an asshole but at least I know you don't have to bend to be my equal. I'm going for a walk." 

The rest of then we're silent as Zuko stormed off. 

"Sokka we-" Katara started but Sokka couldn't help the bitter laugh that came out.

"What? Are you going to say you don't look down on me? You don't think I'm inferior? I think we all know that's not true. I'm fun and I'm entertaining but I'm not someone you take seriously because why would you. _I'm not even a bender._ I know that's what you all think because that's how you treat me and you always have. But guess what? This non bender took down all three of you and I didn't even break a sweat. But it took the word of another bender for you to believe I might have value right?" Sokka finished his rant and had to look away from the devastation on Katara's face.

"You know what? I'm taking a walk too." He finally spat and stormed off in a slightly different direction from Zuko. 

Katara eventually found Sokka in a small courtyard far from their camp. 

He was sat on the ground, his legs pulled up to his chest. 

"Hey." She said softly as she sat next to him.

"Hey." He replied a little sullenly.

"I'm sorry." Katara said in that same quiet voice "I don't know about Aang or Toph but I think I discount what you can do because...well because I was the one who felt inferior back home." 

That was a surprise. Sokka turned his head to watch Katara as she leaned back on her hands and stared at the sky.

"I mean. I was a waterbender but all I could do was the same as the other girls. Cook, clean, deliver babies. You got to learn to fight and hunt and fish and do exciting things! Dad even taught you how to apply war paint. I was _special_ but I wasn't a warrior. I think once we left I let being a bender go to my head." She explained.

"Like I let being a warrior go to my head back home?" He asked and she smiled at him.

"Yeah kinda." Katara knocked him with her shoulder and he punched her lightly in the arm.

"I shouldn't have blown up on you guys. I get Aang doesn't understand because for the first twelve years of his life he was just around benders. And Toph I think is just sure no one is as good as her at anything." Sokka knew that, but their condescending attitudes still hurt.

"Yeah but it was still wrong of us and it shouldn't have taken Zuko to point it out." Katara's face darkened briefly at the mention of the former prince. 

"Maybe, but I think it's good he was able to. I don't think I would have been able to on my own." And Sokka felt ridiculously pleased still of Zuko's utter faith in him. 

He couldn't wait to spar with him again.

"Maybe." Katara grumbled and he decided to let it go for the moment.

But teaming up with Zuko now seems a whole lot more fun. 

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about how seamlessly Zuko and Sokka fought together at Boiling Rock and this fic was born. Enjoy!


End file.
